Deep in Bayou Barataria, there are bald cypress trees that are fully grown, greeting the sun each morning and saying its goodbye at night. Those sturdy trees lived through hurricanes, floods and, most of all, the ax of a pirogue racer.

The town of Jean Lafitte has a history on the bayou that is richer than their Cajun cuisine. The town was founded by hunters, fishers and trappers, all rowing through the swap on their one-seat, lightweight vessel known as the pirogue.

They hauled in crab, they hunted and they depended on their wooden boats for their livelihoods, but also for their sport.

From the tallest and strongest tress on the bayou, the Cajuns of Jean Lafitte crafted their racing boats, creating a tradition that has been alive since Native American times. But between the 1920s and the 1980s, Jean Lafitte was known as the pirogue racing capital of the world.

Across the southern states, hundreds of racers would test their skills against the local talent, but gradually, the annual racing event started to lose interest and the pirogue champions of Jean Lafitte became nothing but tales and legends.

“No matter if you were at your grandparents’ house, your uncle’s house, your aunts’ house, this was an event that you heard about,” Timothy Kerner Jr. said. “This was an event that everyone knew about, that every grandparent talked about.”

Kerner was a part of the generation that never got to see the “battle for the paddle.” So a few of his friends decided it was time to bring back the races and honor the town’s history.

But in 2018, they didn’t expect nearly 100 racers and over 3,000 people to show up.

“The community wanted (the races) back,” he said.

Kerner and the other organizers successfully brought the boats back to the bayou last year, so the plans for the 2019 races were to make it bigger and better. On September 7, over 100 racers were ready to face off in 13 different races, each with their own unique twist.

With children’s races, blindfolded contests and even a decoy pick up race, the locals came out to support their racers, much like they did nearly a hundred years ago.

“Down here everyone grew up in a pirogue so everyone has a connection to the races,” event organizer Russell Easley said.

The festivities kicked off in the Louisiana heat with the smell of boiled seafood and the tune of washboards and accordions.

Kerner said, “This is not just a crazy Cajun event. This is unique to Louisiana. You can’t get more Cajun than this. You can’t get more Southern Louisiana than this.”

The races were important to the older residents, who grew up and even competed in the races of the past, and for the current generation, who were eager to honor their heritage with a win on the water.

The pirogue united the town and its visitors.

Organizer Elton Matherne said, “These people build these boats from scratch. They design their own pirogues. They put a lot into this.”

John Matherne, a resident of Jean Lafitte, competed in both the blindfold and the kayak race, winning the former and placing third in the later.

“It is so fun, with the competition coming at you,” he said. “You never know who is going to win. You can’t see where you’re going so you’re just guessing.”

And while both the competitors and spectators had fun with 11 of the races, the final two kept the crowd on edge. The championship title was on the line and both local talent and out of state competitors were eyeing the prize.

The men’s championship race had everyone on their feet.

The LeBlanc family has deep ties in the Jean Lafitte pirogue races, with local legend Malcolm LeBlanc earning the title 10 times through the 60s and 70s.

His son, 52-year-old Shane LeBlanc, looked for a title of his own, but the competition all brought their best.

The two-mile race saw the eight rowers go neck-and-neck. Neighbors were pitted against neighbors but it was the out of town racer that rounded the mile-marker buoy first and took the lead to the finish line.

Jeb Berry from Gulfport, Mississippi won the championship by a wide margin, but the same could not have been said for the women’s race.

The defending champion Shannon Dardar looked to repeat this year but Lafitte local, Julie Cagins, wanted the trophy for herself.

At the sound of the horn, both racers were off and just yards apart as they reached the mile marker. It wasn’t until the 1.5-mile buoy that the defending champion slacked off and Cagins rowed on to be named the next women’s champion.

“It’s pretty awesome,” she said.

She entered the race after watching her husband practice for last year’s competition.

Cagins said, “My husband practicing (inspired me), I was like, ‘I’m just going to try and see if I can get in this thing.’ and I wanted to do it.”

She will have an entire year to practice if she wants to defend her title, but for now Cagins will celebrate.

“I’m going to have a beer and show off my trophy to my kids,” she said.

Overall, the competitors and attendees experienced something that is deeply rooted in the region’s history and now they hope to keep the races alive for future generations instead of having them live on as memories.

“There is no other sport event that is uniquely Louisiana,” Kerner said. “We are trying to keep it here for 100 more years.”

New Orleans locals got their first ever taste of BIG3 action on August 25, and league founder Ice Cube’s teams of retired NBA talent put on a show.

Nearly 12,000 basketball fans flocked to the Smoothie King Center for the league’s 3-on-3 playoff matches. The team to score 50 points first wins in BIG3 play.

The Killer 3’s took on the defending champion Power in the second match of the day. In a physical semifinal showdown, Glen Davis and company were no match for Stephen Jackson’s team, as the the Killer 3’s beat Power, 50-42. The former LSU star Davis and the Killer 3’s advance to the championship match with the victory. Jackson ended up with 13 points and six rebounds.

The No. 1 seeded Triplets and 2019 MVP Joe Johnson jumped out to a nine-point halftime lead and held off the 3 Headed Monsters, 51-46, in the second semifinal. Johnson finished with 26 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Bivouac versus 3’s Company was the opening game of three for fifth-place in the league. Bivouac managed to outlast their opponents, 50-36. Josh Smith finished with a team-high 16 points and racked up 11 rebounds, two assists and a block.

The Triplets will face the Killer 3’s for the BIG 3 championship on September 1 in Los Angeles. Power and 3 Headed Monsters will play for third place. The doubleheader finale of BIG3 action begins at 2 p.m. New Orleans time.

]]>Saints fans flock to training camphttps://crescentcitysports.com/saints-fans-flock-to-training-camp/
Fri, 26 Jul 2019 05:00:54 +0000https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/?p=174049Fans were eager to catch their first glimpse of the team since January while many look to have their shirts, hats and more autographed by their favorite players.

METAIRIE – The end of last season may have left a bad taste in the mouths of many Saints fans, but instead of wallowing in their own pity, the Who Dat Nation showed up in numbers as the team opened their doors for training camp Friday.

Each practice at the Saints practice facility can house around 3,000 fans. Out of the 12 practices scheduled there, seven have been sold out including the full opening weekend slate.

Fans were eager to catch their first glimpse of the team since January while many look to have their shirts, hats and more autographed by their favorite players.

This year, the Saints have touted new additions to enhance the fan experience. Perhaps the biggest welcomed add is an overhang over the fans’ bleachers and misters that provide some added comfort in the brutal summer heat.

]]>Pearl River racing driver Ronnie Osmer stars in his own children’s serieshttps://crescentcitysports.com/pearl-river-racing-driver-ronnie-osmer-stars-in-his-own-childrens-series/
Fri, 05 Jul 2019 15:23:54 +0000https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/?p=173527At only 19 years old, Ronnie Osmer has seen everything you can on a racetrack.

At only 19 years old, Ronnie Osmer has seen everything you can on a racetrack.

The Pearl River racer has been behind the wheel since he was seven years old, competing all across the South on dirt and asphalt tracks.

His love of speed and adrenaline has created a track record full of championship wins, accolades and even allowed him to compete at Daytona International Speedway for the ARCA Series Lucas Oil 300.

The rising college sophomore has his fair share of stories, and he is not shy of sharing them.

Just this past May, Osmer released his third children’s book inspired by his experiences and lessons while on the racetrack.

Osmer has partnered with Keen Inspirational Media to develop the “Racer Ronnie” book series. Together, they create a type of literature that Osmer always wanted as a child.

“Every time I went to the library, I was always looking for racing books,” he said. “They were so hard to find and so little of them.”

His most recent book,“Racer Ronnie: The Championship Race,” is based on one of the his previous championships. The story aims to teach children about friendship and respect while competing in a sport.

His other two books share similar themes, teaching kids the basics of racing while also having lessons of kindness.

Osmer said, “We get a lot of great feedback from the books. We have a lot of people giving the books to young kids and they’re learning a lot about racing. It’s bringing more fans to racing. It’s helping out a lot.”

To coincide with the recent book release, he is planning a book tour in the New Orleans area this month.

Osmer will be visiting the Hubbell Library in Algiers in July 20 starting at 10:30 a.m. and will be at the New Orleans Main Library on July 21 at 1:30 p.m. Osmer will be showcasing his books to eager fans and teaching children more about the world of racing.

]]>Weidenbacher looks to build on track legacy at Archbishop Rummelhttps://crescentcitysports.com/track-is-back-at-archbishop-rummel/
Sat, 20 Jan 2018 22:21:41 +0000https://crescentcitysports.mystagingwebsite.com/?p=144900For the past nine years, track and field head coach Kyle Weidenbacher has brought back tradition and excellence to the Archbishop Rummel track and field program.

For the past nine years, track and field head coach Kyle Weidenbacher has brought back tradition and excellence to the Archbishop Rummel track and field program.

With his return to his alma mater in 2010, Weidenbacher had a desire to be like his mentor, the legendary Rummel track and field coach Ronnie Doyle.

Doyle’s accomplishments include a state championship, two regional championships and multiple district championships. It is a legacy Weidenbacher embraces and hopes to build on.

“That’s where I want the program to be, where his was and the kind of success he had,” Weidenbacher said.

In nine years under Weidenbacher, the program has enjoyed success with 60 state qualifiers, 30 school records, 30 district champions, 28 state medalists, 17 regional champions, 14 All-Academic athletes, 12 nationally ranked performances, and seven state champions. Rummel has also won the Region III-5A championship in 2012, the 2014 district trophy, and placed second in the state in 2016.

The program has shown significant growth with roster numbers increasing every year that Weindenbacher has been the coach.

Rummel track and field alumni have chipped in to help mold the athletes to perform the best to their abilities.

Weidenbacher has made it a priority to hire track and field alums, such as Alex Lorio, Philip Helmstetter, and Bryan Melan to pass on the love of the program and its traditions.

The program is dedicated to its athletes, so much so that Weidenbacher recently earned his USA Track and Field Level 2 certification which specializes in “workout design (and) utilizing the proper energy systems.”

Weidenbacher is striving to improve personally and to improve his program.

“I am always learning,” Weidenbacher said. “I wish to further my development as a coach to provide better strategies for my athletes.”

From his first year to his current one, the excitement and passion for the sport has been the same.